Holy Trinity stays balanced in 1A state volleyball semifinal win over Boyden-Hull

CORALVILLE — Fort Madison Holy Trinity players and coaches were not about to let a third-set deficit bother them.

Trailing by as many as six points in the third set of Wednesday's Class 1A state volleyball semifinal against No. 2 Boyden-Hull, the third-ranked Crusaders stayed the course and stormed back strong.

“We had a little bit of a letdown, made a few mistakes,” Crusaders Coach Melissa Freesmeier said. “We just took a big breath, relaxed and went from there.”

Freesmeier called a timeout with her team down 15-10 in the set. They went on to outscore the Comets 15-6 the rest of the way to complete a 25-17, 25-17, 25-21 victory at Xtream Arena.

The third-ranked Crusaders (32-10) will meet No. 1 seed and defending state champion Ankeny Christian in the title match. The Eagles advanced with a 3-1 win over No. 4 Conrad BCLUW.

Boyden-Hull retires at 22-12.

Recommended Reading

State volleyball photos: Holy Trinity vs. Boyden-Hull

“The kids came up with some big plays,” Freesmeier said. “That is what this team is capable of doing. Never count us out. We're going to keep clawing our way back.

“To sweep in the semifinal against a good team like Boyden-Hull is a big tribute to these kids.”

There was not any one area where Holy Trinity stood out. In fact, Freesmeier pointed to the balance of her team as a key.

Holy Trinity had three players finish with double digit kill totals. Natalie Randolph continued her superior play, despite having a torn ACL. She had 11 kills and 15 assists. Mary Kate Bendlage and Presley Myers had 10 kills each.

“All 15 of our players contribute every day,” Freesmeier said. “This was just a great team effort and we are just happy to be in the championship (on Thursday).”

The fact they are meeting the defending champs is something the Crusaders relish.

“We wouldn't have it any other way,” Freesmeier said. “You want to play against the best teams on the biggest stage and we get to do that.”